Former Georgia All-American Claire Maust has been hired as UNC Asheville’s new assistant coach for the women’s swimming program. The announcement came today from head coach Elizabeth Lykins.

"Coach Maust brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the coaching staff, and I am very excited to have her join our team,” stated Lykins. “She will not only be a huge contributor on the pool deck, she will also aid our student-athletes in making proper nutrition and dietary choices.

"Claire's upbeat personality and always positive attitude are contagious. I look forward to the team meeting Claire and welcoming her as an UNC Asheville Bulldog."

Maust moved to Asheville from California where she most recently had been coaching tri-athletes, youth clubs, Masters Swimmers and serving as the nutritionist for the Stanford women's gymnastics team. Prior to her time in California, Claire coached at the University of Denver for one year.

Maust was a five-time All-American and a four-time Academic All-American at Georgia. She was selected to the SEC Good Works Team for community service involvement in 2005 and 2006. Maust also was a member of Georgia's NCAA Championship team in 2005 and SEC championship squad in 2006 and swam on the 2006 NCAA champion 800 freestyle relay team and the 2007 SEC champion 500 freestyle team.

In 2007, she earned the Jack Bauerle Scholarship, the Peach of an Athlete Role Model Award, the SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship, and the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and was a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Maust received the 2007 Georgia Swimming & Diving Hardest Worker Award and the 2007 Georgia Swimming & Diving Lisa Coole Award.

Maust also served as a co-captain of the Bulldogs' swimming and diving team in 2007 as well as the co-captain of Team USA at the World University Games in 2007.

During her graduate work at the University of Georgia, Maust served as a graduate teaching assistant from August 2008-May 2010 in the Department of Foods and Nutrition. Maust also worked in the Bone & Body Composition Research Laboratory, the Institute for Leadership Advancement and the Northeast Georgia Dietetic Association.

Born in Atlanta, Maust moved to Denver, Colo., in 1992 and stayed for five years before moving back to Georgia in 1998. During her time in Denver, she swam year-round with the Colorado Rapids Swim team under head coach Tom Whatley.